Bell ringing mechanism



March 3, 1936. R A UGHT ET AL 2,033,078

BELL RINGING MECHANISM Filed Jan. l5, 1935 @mi @nu Patented Mar. 3, 1936 BELL RINGING MECHANISM Ralph A. Light, Cynwyd, and Joseph W. Price, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to The United States Metallic Packing Company, vPhiladelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 15, 1935, Serial No. 1,893

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to bell ringing .mechanism of the kind disclosed in our prior ,Patent No. 1,942,360, dated January 2, 1934, and more particularly to the type featured in our copending application for a further patent, ,led September 8, 1934, Serial No. 743,186.

.In the disclosure above cited, the weight of the ,bell .has been relied upon for returning the actuator piston by coaction of the cam with the point of said piston, but it has been found in .practice that the inertia of the bell frequently failed to fully return the actuator to its proper starting position. This disadvantage has been more especially noticeable in connection with the ringing mechanism of light weight bells, wherein the bell frequently came to .rest in a position at an inclination to the vertical, or out of plumb, due to incomplete retraction of the actuator piston, with the result such condition rendered it practically impossible to restart the ringing mechanism.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the noted disadvantage in a simple and effective manner, with preassurance that the actuator piston is automatically retracted to proper starting position, while the bell is left free to swing into, or stop in, plumb position subsequent to each ringing cycle.

With the stated and other objects in view, as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the instant invention comprises novel structural features, combinations, and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

.In the drawing:

Fig. I is a longitudinal plan section of a bell ringing mechanism including the present invention.

Fig. 1I is a part elevational and part vertical section, taken approximately as indicated by the arrows II-II on Fig. I; and,

Fig. III is a schematic View, partly in section, illustrating the positional relationship of various elements of the bell ringing mechanism during operation of the latter.

Referring mo-re in detail to the drawing, our improved bell ringing mechanism generally is of the construction more particularly featured in our co-pending application hereinbefore mentioned, that is to say it comprises a back-plate I permanently secured to one of the bell bearings 2. To the back-plate I is removably secured as by bolts 3, the housing 4 having a cylindrical portion 5, closed in at its outer end with a cuppedhead 6. Secured to the bell-trunnion 1 is a lobecam 8 having convexed edges 9, Ill, substantially tivating .medium by way of inlet and exhaust ports I8, I9, respectively.; said inlet ,port having an associated pressure-:regulating valve' 20: all of the foregoing forming no part :of `the present invention and being merely referred to -by way of better explaining the present improvements.

As hereinbefore stated, our present improvements have reference to means whereby the actuator piston I4 is automatically retracted to cor-- rect position for restarting after each bell-ring- .ing cycle. To this end it `to be .firstly .noted L that the actuator piston I4 :is connected Vwith the hollow valve II by mea-ns of .a valve .stem 2| threadedly vengaged axially `into saidpiston and immovably secured by `a diametric pin A22, in an obvious manner. This valve stem 2I differs from the 1:prior structures of our patented .and co-,pending application disclosures, in that yit is .provided with an outwardly-extending and diametrically-enlarged `portion 23, alfording va shoulder 24 adapted to yengage the apertured :end

25 of the hollow valve I1 to y.mo-ve .the .flatter for- .ward `in effecting `closure oi the inlet .port I8. .The valve stem enlarged portion 23 .is also pro- Kvided with .a .head 26 ^having a cross groove 21, whereby said stem is suitably screwed into the actuator piston I 4, as readily understandable by those conversant with the art.

Concentrically within the housing cylindrical portion 5 is a cupped retainer device 28 having its inner end wall 29 apertured at 30 for slidable passage of the valve stem enlarged portion 23, and at its outer end a circumferential flange 3| for clamping engagement between a shoulder 32 in said cylindrical portion 5 and the confronting end of the cupped head 6. Intermediate the head 26 of the valve stem enlargement 23 and the inner end wall 29 of the cupped retainer device 26 is a spring 33 in compression, for a purpose later on explained.

Operation of bell ringing mechanism, including the improvements described in the two preceding paragraphs, substantially conforms with the disclosure in our previously mentioned patent and co-pending application, but with the following characteristic distinction. In the cycle of bell ringing operation the piston I4 initially moves toward the lobe cam 8 under pressure exerted by the motivating medium admitted to the cylinder 5 through the inlet port I8, until the shoulder 24 of the valve stem contacts the apertured end of the hollow valve I'I, whereupon the latter is moved along with the piston I4 to close the inlet port I8 and open the exhaust port I9. Incident to movement of the valve II as just described, it will be obvious that the spring 33 is placed under further increased compression, or collapsed from the position shown in Figs. I and II to that of Fig. III, between the head 26 of the valve stem 2| and the cooperative abutment afforded by the inner end lwallr29 of the retainer device 28. Now, it will be equally well apparent that when the motivating medium is shut-off and the cylinder 5 is freed of its pressure, by escape through the opened exhaust port I9, the spring 33 will exert its force and return the valve stem 2l to the normal position of Figs. I and II, thereby drawing with it the actuator piston I4 and hollow valve I'I;` and, incidentally fully retracting the tip I2 of said piston clear of the lobe cam convexed edges 9, I8, so that the bell is left free to oscillate or swing into plumb position, under the iniuence of the buier device 35 as explained in the patent hereinbefore cited. Incidentally, it is to be particularly remarked that when the bell is in neutral position or plumb that the point 34 of the lobe cam 8 is out of alignment or in spaced planar relation to the tip I2 of the actuator piston I4, so'th'a't upon restarting the bell ringing cycle said piston is always in a position for movement into operative engagement with the cam 8.

From the foregoing it is thought the merits and advantages of our present improvements will be fully comprehended, while it is to be further understood minor changes and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In bell ringing mechanism with a cam on the swinging axis of the bell and comprising a cylinder having an open end confronting said cam, an actuator piston reciprocative'in the cylinder and intermittently coactive with the cam to effect ringing of the bell, and a hollow valve in the cylinder behind the piston and movable thereby to control admission and exhaust of motivating lmedium into and vfrom the cylinder for imparting power and return strokes to the actuator piston, the combination of means for coaction with f"' r F. f

the hollow valve to move it forwardly on the power Stroke and effective to automatically retract the piston and valve into proper starting location on the return stroke, whereby the bell is left free to oscillate into plumb position after each ringing cycle.

2. In bell ringing mechanism with a radial cam on the swinging axis of the bell, the combination of a cylinder having an open end confronting the cam, an actuator piston reciprocative in the cylinder and intermittently coactive with the cam to effect ringing of the bell, a hollow valve in the cylinder behind the piston and movable thereby to control admission and exhaust of motivating medium into and from the cylinder for imparting power and return strokes to the actuator piston,

a member axially secured to the actuator piston having a shoulder for coaction with the hollow valve to move the latter forwardly, and means subject to compression during the power stroke of the piston eiective to retract said piston and the valve during their return movement to proper starting location, whereby the bell is left free to swing into plumb position after each ringing cycle.

3. In bell ringing mechanism with a radial cam on the swinging axis of the bell, the combination of a cylinder having an open end confronting the cam, an actuator piston reciprocative in the cylinder and intermittently coactive with the cam to e'ect ringing of the bell, a hollow valve in the cylinder behind the piston and movable thereby to control admission and exhaust of motivating medium into and from the cylinder for imparting power and return strokes to the actuator pisk ton, a stem axially secured to the actuator piston embodying an enlarged section affording a shoulder for coaction with the apertured inner end of the hollow valve for moving the latter forwardly, a cupped retainer device having a wall at one end apertured for slidable passage of the stem enlarged section and a circumferential ange at the other end, said flange serving for securement of the retainer device concentrically within the cylinder aforesaid and a spring in compression 

